Black Venture Network kicked off the year with a forward-looking conversation exploring one of the most important questions for founders and investors today: what will actually matter in AI this year and beyond?

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, the discussion focused on moving beyond the hype cycle to understand where AI is already creating meaningful value,  and what founders should be building now.

The panel featured Githiora Thuku (Commercial Strategist, Cleo) and Harry Jell (Co-Founder & CTO, Yonder), moderated by Shamillah Bankiya (Partner, Dawn Capital). Together, they shared insights from their experience building and investing in AI-driven products and companies.

Several key themes emerged from the conversation.

AI-native products go beyond features
The panel highlighted the difference between AI-enabled features and truly AI-native products. For companies building in the AI space, artificial intelligence should sit at the core of the product experience rather than acting as a surface-level layer.

While many LLM-layer applications are adopting freemium models, strong unit economics and sustainable financing strategies remain essential for scaling AI-first companies.

Build where you have defensibility
A recurring principle for founders was clear: build where AI gives you defensibility, and rent the rest. Leveraging existing models allows teams to move quickly while focusing internal resources on the elements of the product that create real differentiation.

Trust is fundamental to AI products
As AI becomes embedded in user-facing products, trust and reliability are becoming critical. Many teams are now investing heavily in evaluation, monitoring, and simulation frameworks to test conversations, tone, and reliability before launching new features.

AI is reshaping how teams operate
AI is not only transforming products,  it is also changing how companies build them. With estimates that 50–60% of code is now AI-generated in some teams, hiring strategies and organisational structures are evolving as startups increasingly build AI-augmented teams.

Insights, not automation, will define the best AI products
While many AI applications begin with automation, the biggest opportunity lies in delivering meaningful insights along with an opportunity cost that helps users make better decisions.

The conversation closed with a powerful question for founders building in this space:

If AI disappeared tomorrow, would your company still exist?

As AI continues to transform industries, discussions like this remain central to Black Venture Network’s mission of supporting founders, operators, and investors building the future of technology.

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